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The Houthi attack involved bomb-carrying drones and one anti-ship ballistic missile, the U.S. military's Central Command said. The U.S. later launched an airstrike destroying three anti-ship missiles and three bomb-carrying drone boats, Central Command said. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, acknowledged the attack, but claimed its forces targeted two American warships, without elaborating. Despite more than a month and a half of U.S.-led airstrikes, Houthi rebels have remained capable of launching significant attacks. Smoke poured out of one container aboard the vessel, which also showed scorch marks from the impact from a Houthi missile.

Persons: Yemen's, Carney, Arleigh Burke, Yahya Saree, ” Saree, Smoke Organizations: United Arab Emirates, —, Hamas, U.S . military's, Command, U.S, Central Command, MSC Sky, Mediterranean Shipping Co Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, U.S, Red, Gaza, Brig, Israel, Iran, Kolkata, Gulf, Aden, Switzerland, Singapore, Djibouti

☆ How ‘The Zone of Interest’ conveyed the horrors of the Holocaust without ever showing violence
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —“The Zone of Interest,” Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar-nominated historical drama, is technically a film about the Holocaust. “I knew right from the off that I didn’t want to reenact these atrocities using actors and extras,” director Glazer told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in a February interview. “In other words, it’s out of sight but never out of mind,” Glazer told Amanpour. “No matter how good an actor is, faking the pain of a severe injury, of fatality, is a very hard thing,” Burn told IndieWire. At its core, Glazer says, “The Zone of Interest” is about what we choose to pay attention to — and what we’re able to ignore.

Persons: CNN —, Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar, Rudolf Höss, Glazer, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, “, Höss, Hedwig, — they’ve, ” Glazer, Amanpour, Oscar, Johnnie Burn, ”, Sarah Shachat, Burn, IndieWire, ” Burn, James Wilson, ” Wilson, “ It’s, ’ ” Organizations: CNN, Auschwitz, Best, London Locations: The, Estonia, Gaza, Yemen, “, Mariupol, Israel

☆ Damage to Cables Under Red Sea Highlights Mideast Conflict’s Broader Threat
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Stanley Reed | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mysterious damage to vital communications cables under the Red Sea has raised concerns about whether the conflict in the Middle East is now beginning to threaten the global internet. Just as the waters off Yemen hold crucial shipping lanes, they are also a critical location for undersea cables that carry email and other digital traffic between Asia and the West. Around a dozen cables run through the area, and more are planned. “Over 90 percent of all communications traffic between Europe and Asia goes through those” cables. Late last month, Seacom, a company that specializes in providing communications to African countries, noticed that data had stopped flowing through its line that runs from Mombasa, Kenya, up through the Red Sea to Zafarana in Egypt.

Persons: ”, Tim Stronge Locations: East, Yemen, Asia, Europe, Mombasa, Kenya, Zafarana, Egypt

☆ Ship sunk by Houthis threatens Red Sea environment, Yemen government and US military say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CARGO SHIP RUBYMAR, RED SEA -- MARCH 1, 2024: Maxar closeup view satellite imagery of the cargo ship Rubymar - just before sinking after being targeted by Houthi rebels last month. The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control the north of Yemen and other large centres, say their campaign is a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The Rubymar went down in the southern Red Sea late on Friday or early on Saturday, according to statements from the Yemen government and CENTCOM. "An urgent plan should be adopted by countries of the Red Sea to establish monitoring agenda of the polluted areas in the Red Sea as well as adopt a cleanup strategy," he said. The ecosystem of the southern Red Sea features pristine coral reefs, coastal mangroves and diverse marine life.

Persons: Houthi, CENTCOM, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, Ali Al, Al, Tony Wang Organizations: RED SEA, U.S . Central Command, U.S ., Marine, University of Jordan, Department of Earth, Environmental Sciences, Boston College, United Nations Locations: Iran, Yemen, Gaza, U.S, Belize, Africa, Red, United States, Britain, Suez, Aden, Saudi Arabia, United

☆ German warship accidentally opened fire on an American drone, nearly costing the US another Reaper in its Red Sea fight
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Jake Epstein | Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A German warship accidentally tried to shoot down a US military combat drone this week. The frigate Hessen targeted the MQ-9 Reaper as it was on a mission around the Red Sea, a US official said. AdvertisementA German warship accidentally targeted an American combat drone that was operating around the Red Sea earlier this week, but a malfunction spared the US from losing another Reaper drone. A missile launches from a US Navy destroyer in the Red Sea earlier this month. Screengrab/US Central Command via XMeanwhile, with this week's engagements — which saw Germany shoot down the two Houthi drones — Berlin joins the US, UK, and France in eliminating deadly threats launched by the rebels.

Persons: —, Boris Pistorius, Sina Schuldt, Aspides, Dwight D Organizations: Service, Berlin's, Airmen, Squadron, Nevada, Air, Bomb, US Air Force, Victoria, US Central Command, Hessen, Getty, Hellfire, Prosperity Guardian, EU, US Navy, Central Command, Eisenhower Carrier Strike Locations: Hessen, American, Sachsen, Germany, Red, Yemen, Russia, France

☆ Abandoned at sea, Houthi-damaged ship awaits towing to Saudi Arabia amid oil slick concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A vessel impaired in a mid-February Houthi attack offshore Yemen remains abandoned at sea awaiting towing to safe harbor amid growing concerns of an oil spill. The Iran-backed militant group claimed it dealt "catastrophic damage" during a Feb. 18 offensive against the Belize-flagged general cargo vessel Rubymar, which the Houthis said was "at risk of potential sinking in the Gulf of Aden." The attack caused "an 18-mile oil slick," the U.S. Central Command said in a social media update on Feb. 24, adding that the tanker is anchored, but taking on water. "The M/V Rubymar was transporting over 41,000 tons of fertilizer when it was attacked, which could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster," Centcom said. Khoury added that, as the Rubymar's crew has deserted the ship, his company has no information on the status of a possible oil leak.

Persons: Houthis, Centcom, Roy Khoury, Khoury Organizations: U.S . Central Command, Blue Fleet Group, CNBC, U.S . Locations: Yemen, Iran, Belize, Gulf, Aden, Saudi, Jeddah, Djibouti, U.S

☆ He’s visited every corner of the Earth. Now he wants to try a very different challenge
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Richard Collett | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Standing on the South Pole at the start of the year with the wind whipping across the Antarctic, travel blogger Johnny Ward felt a surge of relief. Years before, in 2017, he’d become the first Irish person to visit every country in the world. Life goalIrish explorer Johnny Ward has climbed the seven summits, reached the North and South poles, and visited every country in the world. And originally I thought the freest you can be is to visit every country,” he said. Costly challengeWard cycling in south east Asia while completing the epic challenge of visiting every country in the world.

Persons: Johnny Ward, he’d, Ward, Johnny Ward “, ” Ward, ”, “, who’ve, Mount, didn’t, wasn’t, “ I’m, He’s, Mariana Trench Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, UN, Antarctic, ” Locations: Thailand, Palestinian, Taiwan, Kosovo, Oman, Socotra, Yemen, Cairo, Cape Town, South Korea, Australia, Denali, Asia, Galway, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Spain, Florida, New York, Mauritania, Africa

☆ Iran has reduced stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium, says nuclear watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Adam Pourahmadi | Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Iran has reduced its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium in the months since October 2023, according to a confidential report from the International Atomic Weapons Agency (IAEA) viewed by CNN on Tuesday. In October, Iran possessed 128.3 kilograms (282.9 pounds) of uranium enriched to approximately 60%, the highest level documented by the IAEA. By February, the stockpile had been reduced to 121.5 kilograms, according to the report. Iran reduced the quantity of near weapons-grade uranium by mixing 31.8 kilograms of the stockpile with uranium enriched to a much lower level, around 2%, according to the report. However, while Iran had reduced its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium, the report also noted a steady increase in stocks of uranium enriched to 20%.

Persons: IAEA Rafael Grossi, Donald Trump, Eric Brewer, Ben Taleblu, Majid Asgaripour, they’ve, ” Brewer, Brewer, Taleblu, “, ” Taleblu, Matthew Miller, Yemen’s Houthi Organizations: CNN, International Atomic Weapons Agency, IAEA, Center for Arms Control, United, Experts, Nuclear Threat Initiative, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Governors, US State Department, American Locations: Iran, Bushehr, Israel

☆ US expected to reduce forces near to Middle East by removing Marine rapid response force from Mediterranean Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A Marine rapid response force is expected to leave the eastern Mediterranean Sea in the coming weeks and return to the United States, according to two defense officials, in a significant reduction of US forces in the region. The Marine rapid response force first deployed in July and was sent to the region in October. It had previously been extended to remain in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, as CNN reported. The US has maintained an aircraft carrier or amphibious assault ship in the eastern Mediterranean Sea since shortly after the October 7 attacks in Israel. The Ford carrier strike group, which had been extended several times, left the eastern Mediterranean Sea in early-January, replaced by the Bataan amphibious ready group and the Marine rapid response force.

Persons: “, hasn’t, ”, Sabrina Singh, Dwight D, Lloyd Austin, Gerald R Organizations: CNN, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Pentagon, Marines, MEU, Eisenhower, Red Sea, Navy, Ford, US, Bataan Locations: United States, Bataan, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Red, Yemen, Gulf, Oman, Lebanese

☆ Oil prices rise as market monitors Gaza cease-fire talks, OPEC production cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during the annual National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 1, 2024. Crude oil futures rose Tuesday amid uncertainty about the prospects for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and as some investors expect OPEC+ will extend its production cuts beyond the first quarter. President Joe Biden told reporters in New York City on Monday that he hoped a cease-fire would be reached in the Israel-Hamas war by March 4. OPEC+ will soon make a decision on whether to extend its production cuts beyond the first quarter. Raj said the lack of clarity in the Israel-Hamas war and the ongoing turmoil with Houthi militants in Yemen gives traders little reason to sell oil right now.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, there's, Ahmed Abdel Hadi, Al Mayadeen, Goldman Sachs, Manish Raj, Raj, Israel, Charles van der Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Washington , D.C, West Texas Intermediate, Brent, OPEC, Velandera Energy Partners, CNBC, Reuters, Maersk North Locations: Washington ,, Israel, New York City, Lebanon, U.S, Gaza, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Maersk

☆ Oil extends losses in early Asian trade
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A view of decaying FSO Safer oil tanker anchored 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of the port of Hudaydah, Yemen on July 15, 2023. Oil prices fell in early Asian trading on Monday, extending losses from the previous session after oil ended the week 2-3% lower amid market concerns that higher-than-expected inflation could delay U.S. interest rate cuts. Brent crude futures fell 34 cents to $81.28 a barrel by 0121 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) declined 33 cents to $76.16 a barrel. "Crude oil prices declined for want of fresh drivers," ANZ analysts wrote in a note. While Iran-aligned Houthis have continued their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, the Israel-Hamas war has not significantly constrained oil supply.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Brent, WTI Organizations: Brent, U.S, West Texas, ANZ, White House, CNN, Sunday, Israeli, U.S . Energy, Administration Locations: Hudaydah, Yemen, China, Iran, Red, Israel, United States, Egypt, Qatar, Paris

☆ Battle for the Red Sea expands with U.S. strikes, EU stepping up its efforts against Houthis
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Defense officials tell CNBC as of February 21, there have been at least 59 attacks on commercial shipping interests in the Red Sea. But the EU said the Red Sea moves reflect the need for a stronger European presence in protecting ships from Houthi attacks. Trade leaders have urged more countries to join the military effort in the Red Sea. A war of misinformation in the Red Sea crisis also continues. On February 2 in Brussels, Borrell informed Yemeni Prime Minister Bin Mubarak about the plans to launch a new EU maritime operation in the Red Sea and about its mandate.

Persons: Mason, Torm Thor, Good Hope, Peter Stano, Josep Borrell, Mark Montgomery, Sen, John McCain, Steven Lamar, Hussein, Azzi, Stano, Houthis, Borrell, Bin Mubarak, Rashad Al, Carl Bentzel, Bentzel, Tesla Organizations: European Commission, United States Central Command, Command, U.S, CNBC, European Union's Naval Force, EU, French Navy, Prosperity, Prosperity Guardian, EU Commission, Navy, Foundation, Defense of Democracies, Senate Armed, NATO, U.S . Central Command, UK, Prosperity Guardian . Trade, American Apparel and Footwear Association, Central Command, Yemeni, Presidential, Council, UN, Federal Maritime, Foreign Shipping, State Department, FMC, Walmart Locations: Aden, Iranian, Yemen, Red, Libyan Coast, Good, Somalia, European, EU, U.S, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, Houthi, Europe, Suez, Belize, Brussels, Yemeni, United States, Egypt, Germany, Israel

☆ U.S. and Britain Strike 18 Houthi Targets in Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Helene Cooper | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Houthi militants have launched attack drones and cruise and ballistic missiles at vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The United States and Britain carried out another round of large-scale military strikes Saturday against multiple sites in Yemen controlled by Houthi militants, U.S. officials said. On Monday, Houthi militants fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles at a cargo ship, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. The ship, called the Sea Champion, continued on to its destination at the port of Aden in Yemen, the statement added. The American-led retaliatory air and naval strikes against Houthi targets began last month.

Persons: ”, Houthi, Mason, Lloyd J, Austin III Organizations: Houthi, British, Defense Department, Associated Press, “, Yemeni Armed Forces, U.S ., U.S . Central Command, Central Command, Command, Iranian Locations: Aden, The United States, Britain, Yemen, Iran, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, “ U.S, U.S, Red Sea, Palau, Gaza, Israel, United States, Africa, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia

☆ US and UK carry out fourth round of coalition strikes against at least a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The strikes include at least dozens of targets across multiple locations in Yemen, according to one of the officials, including targets in the capital Sanaa and elsewhere. The targets included Houthi weapons, radar sites, command and control center, as well as underground weapons storage facilities. Earlier this month, the Pentagon said that the continued strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, which began in January, have destroyed more than 100 missiles and launches, including anti-ship missiles, drones, radars and more. It is also extremely expensive and impractical, some officials note, to keep firing multimillion-dollar missiles at cheap Houthi drones and missiles. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the number of strikes carried out against Houthi targets in Yemen.

Persons: Aden –, Sabrina Singh, ” Singh, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, United Nations, Command, US Locations: United States, United Kingdom, Yemen, Iran, Aden, Gaza, Suez, Africa, Gulf, Belize

☆ U.S. and British strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen answer militants’ surge in Red Sea attacks on ships
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The U.S. F/A-18 fighter jets launched from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier, which is currently in the Red Sea, officials said. President Joe Biden and other senior leaders have repeatedly warned that the U.S. won't tolerate the Houthi attacks against commercial shipping. During normal operations, about 400 commercial vessels transit the southern Red Sea at any given time. The Rubymar, a British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo vessel, was attacked while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Associated Press, relying on satellite images from Planet Labs PBC of the stricken vessel, reported Tuesday that the vessel was leaking oil in the Red Sea.

Persons: Dwight D, Lloyd Austin, Grant Shapps, Shapps, Joe Biden, haven't, We've, Sabrina Singh, we've, Mason, Abdul Malik al, Hope Organizations: US Coast Guard, US Central Command, U.S, Eisenhower, Defense, Yemeni Armed Forces, RAF, Islander, Hamas, Houthi, Aden , U.S . Central Command, Central Command, Khorfakkan, United, Command, Associated Press, Planet Labs PBC Locations: Iran, Yemen, Tampa , Florida, United States, U.S, Gulf of Aden, British, Red, Britain, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, Gaza, Aden , U.S, Asia, Europe, Africa, Suez, Mandeb, Gulf, Aden, Palau, Belize, Lebanese, Bulgaria, United Arab Emirates

☆ I catapulted off the deck of a US aircraft carrier in a largely windowless prop plane the Navy's been flying since the 1960s. It was jarring and intense.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Catapulting off an aircraft carrier is a sharp, jarring experience even more intense than the landing, and I recently experienced this firsthand in a US Navy C-2 Greyhound. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderThere were a couple of very small windows on the aging Greyhound, but they were behind me, mostly out of sight. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderAside from facing the wrong way, taking off from Bahrain felt a lot like any other commercial flight I've ever been on. AdvertisementMy first look at the flight deck after landing on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderSuddenly, we shot up at a force that felt far greater than the catapult launch, gaining a lot of altitude in a quick spurt.

Persons: —, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Houthi, Ike, Jake Epstein, rocketing Organizations: Service, US, Greyhound, Grumman, Navy Locations: US Navy, Bahrain, Red, Iran, Yemen

☆ Opinion: Why Iran hates America
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Fareed Zakaria | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Iran, and particularly its hostile relationship with the US, is firmly at the center. The story is more complicated than that, as I lay out in my CNN special report “Why Iran Hates America,” airing Sunday at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. But suffice it to say that America’s relationship with Iran has been hostile and confrontational for more than four decades. Washington has viewed the fall of the Shah’s Iran as a deep betrayal from which it has never really recovered. As Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif pointed out to me, the Iran nuclear deal was premised not on trust but on mistrust.

Persons: Fareed Zakaria, Fareed, Read, CNNi, Yemen’s Houthis, jihadism, Majid Saeedi, Iran’s, Shah, Jimmy Carter, It’s, Ronald Reagan, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Hassan Rouhani, Javad Zarif, premised, Donald Trump, Rouhani Organizations: CNN, Fareed’s, Sunday, US, Iranian, Washington Locations: Iran, Israel, Gaza, An Iran, Jordan, Washington, Tehran, Britain, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, —, Moscow, Roman, America, United States

☆ U.S. and British Warplanes Again Strike Houthi-Linked Targets in Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Helene Cooper | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States and Britain carried out another round of large-scale military strikes Saturday against multiple sites in Yemen controlled by Houthi militants, U.S. officials said. The strikes were intended to degrade the Iran-backed militants’ ability to attack ships in sea lanes that are critical for global trade, a campaign they have carried out for almost four months. American and British warplanes hit missile systems and launchers and other targets, the officials said. Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand provided support for the operation, according to a joint statement from the countries involved that was emailed to reporters by the Defense Department. The strikes, which the statement called “necessary and proportionate,” hit 18 targets across eight locations in Yemen associated with Houthi underground weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, one-way attack unmanned aerial systems, air defense systems, radars and a helicopter.

Persons: ” Organizations: Houthi, British, Defense Department Locations: States, Britain, Yemen, Iran, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand

☆ Concern grows within Biden administration as Houthis continue attacks despite US strikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“They continue to surprise us,” said one senior defense official, referring to the Houthis. Officials also believe Iran instructed the groups to back off the attacks following the US strikes. The issue is becoming more acute, especially given the notable increase in Houthi attacks over the last two days. At the same time, the Houthis also crave international legitimacy, officials said, and want to be recognized as the official Yemeni government. Still, there are no signs yet that Iran is actively withholding support from the Houthis, officials said.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, “, Sabrina Singh, ”, —, Marc Miguez, Israel, Privately, Matthew Miller, Singh, ” Singh Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, Central Command, Carrier Strike, Yemeni, Saudi, State Department, US, Prosperity Locations: Iran, Yemen, Gulf, Aden, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Baghdad, Gaza, Israel, Red, Oman, Bahrain

CNN —A cargo ship that was struck by a Houthi ballistic missile on Monday has created an 18-mile long oil slick in the Red Sea as it continues to take on water, two US officials said Friday. It appeared to be the first time a crew has been forced to evacuate a ship after it was hit by the Houthis. The Houthis’ attacks have been ongoing for months, and despite several rounds of strikes by the US and UK on their capabilities, US officials told CNN it’s unclear how much weaponry the militia group still has. The Houthis’ attacks have increased in recent days; Singh said Thursday there has “certainly” been “an increase in attacks from the Houthis” over the last 72 hours. One other ship hit by the Houthis on Monday — the M/V Sea Champion, a US-owned, Greek-flagged bulk carrier — was carrying grain to Yemen.

Persons: Sabrina Singh, ” Singh, “, ”, Biden, Singh Organizations: CNN, Central Command, Command, US Central Command, Houthi, Pentagon, ” CNN, US Locations: Belize, Lebanese, Yemen, Red, Gulf, Aden, Israel, US

☆ Gold set for weekly gain as weak dollar, Middle East woes lift appeal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold prices inched higher on Friday and were on track for their first weekly rise in three, as a broadly weaker U.S. dollar and growing tensions in the Middle East lifted bullion's appeal. Gold prices inched higher on Friday and were on track for their first weekly rise in three, as a broadly weaker U.S. dollar and growing tensions in the Middle East lifted bullion's appeal. Spot gold was up 0.1% at $2,025.7 per ounce, as of 0411 GMT, and has gained 0.7% so far in the week. Tension mounted in the Middle East as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on a UK-owned cargo ship, and they targeted Israel's port and resort city of Eilat with ballistic missiles and drones. Meanwhile, the dollar index was heading for its first weekly dip in nearly two months, making the greenback-priced bullion less expensive to overseas buyers.

Persons: Edward Meir, Houthis, Christopher Waller Organizations: Federal Reserve, CME Locations: Iran, Eilat

☆ Houthi attacks on ships are giving the rebels and Iran intel on how to hunt down and strike naval targets, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Houthis have spent the past few months lobbing missiles and drones at ships off Yemen's coast. War experts say these attacks are giving Iran and the rebels, Tehran's proxies, valuable data. War experts say the rebels and Iran, their main backer, have been learning key information from the ongoing attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. US Central CommandThe Houthi rebels boast a sizable arsenal of one-way attack drones, anti-ship cruise missiles, and anti-ship ballistic missiles, the latter of which had never been used in combat until recently. Earlier this week, for example, a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile hit a bulk carrier, forcing its crew to issue a distress call and abandon the vessel.

Persons: —, Khaled Abdullah, John Kirby, Marlin Luanda, Sabrina Singh, Kirby Organizations: Navy, Service, US Navy, Institute for, American Enterprise Institute, US Central Command, International Institute for Strategic Studies, REUTERS, National Security, Marshall, Central Command, Pentagon Locations: Iran, Yemen, Gulf of Aden, resupplied, Tehran, Sanaa, Bermuda, Gulf, Aden

☆ Oil falls after U.S. Fed governor says no rush to cut interest rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

This picture taken on Jan.12, 2024 shows onshore oil pumps in Tutong district in Brunei. Oil prices fell on Friday after a U.S. Fed official said interest rate cuts should be delayed at least two more months. Higher interest rates for longer slow economic growth, which curbs oil demand. Waller also pushed back on the idea that the Fed risks sending the economy into recession if it waits too long to cut rates, saying the Fed can afford to "wait a little longer". Oil futures had settled higher on Thursday as hostilities continued in the Red Sea, with Iran-aligned Houthis stepping up attacks near Yemen to show support for Palestinians in the Gaza war.

Persons: Christopher Waller, Waller, Benjamin Netanyahu's Organizations: U.S, Fed, Brent, West Texas, . Federal, Israel Locations: Tutong district, Brunei, U.S, Red, Iran, Yemen, Gaza, Paris

☆ Biden Lawyers Wrestle With Lack of Congressional Blessing for Houthi Conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Charlie Savage | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The large-scale military strikes the United States has directed at the Houthis, an Iran-backed militant group in Yemen that has disrupted shipping in the Red Sea, has forced the Biden administration to wrestle over what it can do without congressional approval. The question has helped fuel at least two major legal policy dilemmas, according to officials familiar with internal deliberations among national security lawyers: One is how a Vietnam-era law that was intended to limit wars that lack congressional authorization applies to the conflict, and the other is what to do with captured detainees. On Thursday, a senior administration official offered the most detailed account to date about its view of the Vietnam-era law, the War Powers Resolution, and the Justice Department disclosed that it had taken custody of 14 prisoners the military had been holding for over a month. Together, the developments shed light on what the Biden administration sees as the scope and limits of its power in the conflict with the Houthis, part of the widening regional conflagration that has spun out of the Israel-Hamas war following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks and Israel’s invasion of Gaza.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Justice Department Locations: United States, Iran, Yemen, Red, Vietnam, Israel, Gaza

☆ Why the captain of a US Navy aircraft carrier fighting in the Red Sea is always posting about things like Taco Tuesday and cookies
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is the flagship of the strike group handling the US Navy response to the Houthis. AdvertisementThe Wi-Fi aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower isn't exactly the best, but for Capt. AdvertisementThe efforts to keep morale up come as the Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group confronts a variety of threats, including some no one has ever faced in combat before, in a kinetic weapons-engagement environment. Captaining a flagship carrier in this situation is no easy task, but Hill has a lot of Navy experience to lean on. Among other things, he has served as the executive and commanding officer of an airborne command & control squadron, a TOPGUN instructor, the executive officer of the aircraft carrier George H.W.

Persons: Dwight D, Eisenhower, Chris Hill, —, Hill, Ike, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Joe Boggio, We’ve, “, San, John Bellino Hill Organizations: Service, Tuesday, Business, Navy, US European Command, US Navy, US, Eisenhower, Taco, Legion, Islamic Locations: Red, Iran, Yemen, Massachusetts, Suez, East, George H.W ., Gulf of Aden, @ChowdahHill, San Antonio, Arlington, Afghanistan, Islamic State

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